Toolkits

Enceladus Final Flybys

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NASA's Cassini spacecraft completed its final three flybys of Enceladus. The little moon stunned scientists with the revelation it harbors a global ocean under its icy shell, active geysers of water-ice feeding one of Saturn's rings and the first tantalizing signs of hydrothermal activity beyond Earth. All these discoveries have vaulted Enceladus to one of the top future destinations for exploration and the search for signs of potential life beyond Earth.

Use the resources in this toolkit to make the most of Cassini's grand farewell to Enceladus.

What has scientists so stoked about Enceladus? Here are some of the most intriguing findings scientists have made about Enceladus using data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft at Saturn.

October 14, 2015: Cassini captured great views of the moon's north polar regions during this flyby at an altitude of 1,142 miles, or 1,839 kilometers.

October 25, 2015: Cassini made a daring flight through the moon's famous plume only 30 miles (48 kilometers) above Enceladus' south pole. The flyby is Cassini's deepest-ever dive through the jets. The encounter allowed Cassini to obtain the most accurate measurements yet of the plume's composition, and new insights into the ocean world beneath the ice.